Opportunity, Open, Organize
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day one hundred and forty-six: ABCs #15 Rachel has one Glee memory she regrets, and she seeks to attend to it.


_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a second cycle, and then a third, fourth, and fifty cycle. Now here's cycle 6!_

_Walking through a bookstore back in december, I saw the series of books by Sue Grafton that go "A is for...," "B is for...," etc, and I got the idea for this set. It will spread over the end of cycle 6, and carry through cycles 7 and 8, to be posted on alternating days. [And by the time we reach the end, Glee will be a week away!!] What I did is I found three words for each letter that would have some significance to Glee, and I built a plot around it. You with me? Okay, here we go...  
**15 of 26: O is for...**_

* * *

**"Opportunity, Open, Organize"  
Rachel & Tina**

Maybe it was her small 'truce' with Mercedes that had done it, but Rachel had started thinking back on the last few months. There had been highs and lows, and if there was one thing that came back to her more than others, it was her bit of a head-to-head – over who got to sing 'Tonight' – with Tina.

Tina had gotten it in the end, so it wasn't as though she had managed to take it away from her. But the more she thought about it, the more she hated how she'd handled the situation. She knew it was months ago by now, but she still wanted to address it.

She'd left a note in Tina's locker, asking her to come meet her in the auditorium before school started the next day. She arrived there, on her own, hoping Tina would show up to meet her as she'd asked.

She heard the door open and she looked back. Tina came in, making her way toward the stage. Rachel was sitting on the edge, looking out. When Tina reached her, she came to sit at her side, legs dangling over the stage's edge like Rachel's were.

"Hi…" Tina nodded. "What's with the… covert…" she looked around.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about something." Tina nodded, still unsure as to what this was about. "I know… it's been a while, I know it might not seem like much anymore, but… remember when we did… when you did 'Tonight,' from West Side Story…"

"Yeah?"

"I should have let you have it."

"But… I did get it…" Tina frowned, not getting what she was saying.

"No, I know, but… well…" she gestured. "I got in your way and… I shouldn't have," Rachel finally got where she wanted to get. Tina smiled, shaking her head lightly.

"It's alright, I mean it was a while ago. But… thanks," she nodded. "For saying it… it really means a lot." Rachel smiled. "And I guess I kind of get it," she looked at her.

"Yeah?" Rachel looked back.

"We all have songs that mean a lot to us, that we fight for." Rachel nodded.

"You're right." Tina nodded back, looking around. After a moment, she sat up, with an idea. Rachel observed her. "What?" Tina looked back at her.

"Let's do over," she nodded.

"Do over?" Rachel repeated. Tina nodded, getting up and holding her hand out to help Rachel up.

"We can do over 'Tonight,' right now," she explained. Rachel smirked, taking Tina's hand to get on her feet. "I'll even be the Tony to your Maria," Tina nodded, chuckling.

"You want to be Tony?" Rachel repeated.

"Sure," Tina shrugged. "I already got to be Maria and she means a lot to you…"

"Okay," she nodded, looking around. "Let's do it." She thought for a moment. "I can find Brad for music."

"Lead on," Tina nodded.

The girls ran off in search of their intrepid piano player. Rachel knew exactly where to look for him, always wanting to be able to find him if need be. Once they'd explained to him what they wanted to do, and once he'd been allowed to finish his coffee, he accompanied the girls back to the auditorium and took his post at the piano. The girls came to stand on stage, taking their places a few feet apart, staring to the empty audience as Rachel began.

_[R] "Only you, you're the / only thing I'll see/ forever/ In my eyes in my/ words and in/ everything I do/ Nothing else but you/ Ever"_

_[T] "And there's nothing/ for me but Maria/ Every sight that I see is Maria"_

_[R] "Tony, Tony"_

_[T] "Always you, every/ thought I'll ever know / Everywhere I go you'll be"_

_[R, T] "All the world is / only you and me"_

Rachel was not expecting this outcome, but she was so happy for it, even if it was just to be known between the three of them, and not just because she was singing the song. The more bridges she was strengthening, the better it felt.

_[R] "Tonight, tonight / It all began tonight / I saw you and the / world went away_

_Tonight, tonight / There's only you tonight / What you are, what you / do, what you say"_

_[T] "Today, all day I / had the feeling / A miracle would happen / I know now I was right"_

They sang out the song, the once-nervous Tina not so nervous anymore, and the once-denied Rachel seeing out her dream, while both of them, once in competition, now were able to have their song and share it with someone else who cared for it, too.

_[R, T] "For here you are / And what was just a / world is a star / Tonight_

_Tonight, tonight / The world is full of light / With suns and moons / all over the place_

_Tonight, tonight / The world is wild and bright / Going mad / Shooting sparks into space_

_Today, the world was / just an address / A place for me to live in / No better than all right_

_But here you are / And what was just a / world is a star / Tonight_

_Good night, good night / Sleep well and when you dream / Dream of me / Tonight"_

And no one else had to know.

THE END


End file.
